TIỀN GIANG – The number of fishing boats operating in the southern province of Tiền Giang has been on a steady rise thanks to numerous support policies implemented by the local authorities, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The province boasts a large fleet of high-capacity boats over 90 CV, which are capable of exploiting offshore fisheries.

To ensure efficiency and safety in offshore fishing, the province has provided fishermen with maritime safety guidelines and skills and encouraged owners to equip their boats with sophisticated technology to aid in detecting fish schools, improving fishing techniques and seafood storage – all with a view to bettering the productivity of marine exploitation, and no less importantly, the value of products on the market.

At the same time, a number of logistic ships have been deployed to support fishermen with food, fuel and other essentials supply. Some ships will be tasked with carrying catch from the fishing boats back to the mainland, allowing fishermen to remain offshore for extended periods of time.

Government surveys show that the utilisation of sonar (horizontal fish finder) helps to boost catch by up to 50 per cent. Meanwhile, the use of electricity-efficient light bulbs (LED) helps to save fuel by some 60 per cent.

The installation of marine radar and GPS-integrated wide-range communication system enables the boat’s captain to navigate the ocean easily in all weather conditions and ensure ongoing contact between fishing boats and mainland, so that they can receive timely information to avoid storms and other hazards.

In the future, adoption of high-technology in fishing will be implemented more widely, benefitting even more fishermen.

Tiền Giang Province has over 32km of coast line. On average, the province harvests some 100,000 tonnes of aquaculture products, for both domestic consumption and exports. 

From the beginning of this year, the province’s fishermen have caught some 74,000 tonnes of all types of seafood, up 4 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The thriving fishery has helped create jobs for tens of thousands of people in the otherwise economically-challenged coastal areas of Gò Công Đông and Tân Phú Đông districts. – VNS